Instead, as the full title of the novel promises, the
subject of Hardy’s focus and interest is Henchard’s character. The
word “character” has several relevant meanings here. First, and
perhaps most obvious, the word connotes the artistic portrayal of
a person in a work of fiction. Second, it refers to a quality or
feature that distinguishes one person or group from another. In
his portrayals of Henchard, Farfrae (the Scotchman), Lucetta, and
Elizabeth-Jane, Hardy relies heavily on traits that make his characters
subject to larger social phenomena or forces. In these chapters,
for example, he establishes the essential conflict between a world
marked by tradition—as represented by Henchard, who has no means
of salvaging a damaged harvest—and a world marked by progressive
and sometimes miraculous modern methods. The third meaning of “character”
is the suggestion of moral or ethical strength, as in the novel’s subtitle: A
Story of a Man of Character. Although the narrative traces
Henchard’s fall from grace and social respectability, it positions
him, time and again, as a man of moral integrity through his limitless
resolve.
The idea of integrity manifests itself several times
during the short dinner at the King’s Arms. First, as Elizabeth-Jane
notices, Henchard’s is the only wineglass among the celebrants’
to remain empty. This simple detail balances the image of Henchard,
for although he is a man whose temper can lead him to make rash
decisions that are as unwise as they are unkind, he is also a man
of exceptional resolve and a man who honors the vows—no matter how extreme—that
he makes. The incident involving the sale of “grown wheat” offers
a look into another of Henchard’s interesting motives. A frustrated
citizen’s questioning of Henchard as to how he plans to repay the
villagers for the past points to Henchard’s biggest anxiety: how
to make amends for past wrongs. Henchard’s actions indicate that
he wonders if the mistakes of the past can be undone, and he hones
his resolve for the possibility that he may be able to atone for
it. But, stricken by guilt, first by his sale of his wife and daughter
and, eighteen years later, by the suggestion of shady business dealings,
Henchard longs to expunge the dark spots from his personal history.
